1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to biomedical surfaces and, more specifically, to a method of preparing biomedical surfaces for enhanced biological interaction and adhesion with adjoining materials or tissue.
2. Description of the Related Art
Porous surfaces have been used for over two decades to provide places for biological fixation between implant and tissue to take place. Typically these porous surfaces are processed by sintering, diffusion bonding, plasma spraying or other mechanism and create rough bead-like or fiber-like surfaces. The spaces between these materials then serve as sites where bone or other tissue can in-grow and attach to the implant. This process is called biological fixation and is used extensively in implants (e.g., dental, hips and knees) to fix the device directly into the bony substrate.
Nano-scale surface topography of implants has gained in interest in recent years as it is becoming known that nano-topography of surfaces can have a significant effect on cell behavior on such nano-topographically modified surfaces. Conventional nano-scale topography formation is directed toward forming nanotubes or nanocolumns using etching/electrochemical processing. Other processes involve making electropolished surfaces. These techniques are frequently very expensive to implement and are of reduced value in surfaces having recessed cavities. As a result, bone attachment is not always successful.